Ironing board



Sept. 22, 1953 J. c. CAVE, JR

IRONING BOARD Filed Aug. 25, 1949 IN VEN TOR. Jon/v L. C4 vs, JR.

Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRONIN G BOARD John C. Cave, Jr., Upper Darby, Pa.

Application August 25, 1949, Serial No. 112,291

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to ironing boards and is concerned primarily with a novel board which is intended to facilitate the use of such boards under practical home conditions.

At the present time, the ironing boards which are commonly used by housewives about the home are of a fairly well standardized size and construction. Such boards ordinarily include 'not only the padded board itself which is of appreciable length, but also the collapsible supporting structure therefor.

When a housewife has occasion to iron only a single garment or two, she is still put to the trouble and inconvenience of setting up one of these large size ironing boards. Furthermore, when ironing certain articles of apparel, such as a mans shirt, considerable diflicult-y is experienced in properly correlating the shirt with re spect to the board so as to carry out the ironing operation.

With the foregoing conditions in mind, the present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of an ironing board which substantially obviates the above noted difficulties.

More in detail, the invention has as an object the provision of an ironing board which is somewhat smaller in its longitudinal dimension than the usual ironing board which carries the collapsible supporting structure and which is shaped to particularly adapt it to the ironing of shirts and similar articles of apparel. In carrying out this idea, a board is provided which has parallel side edges and one straight end edge. The opposite end edge is defined by two inclined side portitons and a central straight portion. This ironing board is covered on both faces by padding whereby, after a shirt or other article to be ironed is placed thereon, it may be turned over so as to iron the shirt or article on both sides of the board.

An ironing board of the character aforesaid is particularly adapted to be placed on any supporting surface which is available. It may be placed on the Work shelf of a kitchen cabinet, a kitchen or breakfast table, or any other supporting structure which might suit the convenience of the user. Moreover, due to its comparatively small size and lack of any supporting structure, it may be stored away when not in use with much greater facility than the conventional ironing boards.

It is believed that an ironing board made in accordance with the above noted objectives will be susceptible of being stored while not in use by being suspended from a closet hook or comparable point of suspension. Thus, a further object of the invention is to provide an ironing board of the type indicated with suspension means. This suspension means preferably takes the form of a fabric loop that is secured to the end having the inclined side portions.

It is believed that an ironing board designed in accordance with the above noted objectives will meet most of the requirements of the housewife so far as normal ironing operations are concerned. However, it is recognized that there may be occasions when the housewife will require a full size ironing board. Thus, a further object of the invention is to provide an ironing board of the type indicated with an auxiliary attachment which is adapted to be detachably secured thereto and supplement the main ironing board so as to provide a full size ironing board.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention such as arise in connection with carrying out the above noted ideas in a practical embodiment will, in part become apparent, and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises an ironing board which consists essentially of a main body portion having a longitudinal dimension appreciably less than that of the present day conventional ironing board and which is defined by straight parallel side edges, a straight end edge, and another end edge having inclined side portions and a central straight portion. This main body porttion is covered on both sides with padding and also is provided with a fabric loop for suspension purposes. An auxiliary attachment is also provided which is adapted to be detachably secured to the main body portion so as to supplement the latter and provide a full size ironing board.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away and shown in section of an ironing board that is designed in accordance with the precepts of this invention together with the auxiliary attachment which is shown in exploded relation with respect to the main body portion of the board.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away and shown in section of the main body portion of the board; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken about on the plane represented by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, and first more particularly to Figure 1, the ironing board of the present invention is shown as including as its most essential element a main body portion which is referred to in its entirety by the reference character B. While the dimensions of the board B are believed to be susceptible of 'ra ati u h s m o y rt n hould have a longitudinal dimension which is appreciably less than that of the present day conventional ironing board. Thus, the main body portion B is shown as having a straight edge ill, which purely by way of example, may have an extent of twenty-two inches. The main body portion B also includes a pair oi straight paral.- lel side edges H and H? which may-have a dimension of thirty-one inches.

Extending inwardly from the end of the side edge Ii that is remote from the ,end edge i fis an in lined d e d ort n .1 like ise, 2 3 tending inwardly from the corresponding end o t eside edge 2 5%.11 and dg et t on J5- Extending between the end edge portions {3 and I4 is a central straight end edge portion 15.

With the end edge it having a dimension of twenty-two inches, and the side ed es 1.2 and 12 having a dimension of thirty-one inches, the inclined edges 13 and it may each have an extent of eight and one-half inches, while the endedge portion is will have an extent of six inches.

The foregoing dimensions are not intended as a limitation on the invention but are given illustrative of one set of dimensions which will meet the requirements of the present invention.

The main body portion 33 comprises a central board [6 which preferably is made of wood or similar material. Both faces of this .board It are covered by padding such as indicated at l1. .AI y fii lf fid t p e pa di s m e al may h emplo d although he i s i q s a i le lad n mind th 1 s certain pad. n e wi 'qh are now ayailable from the rubber companies.

I D gs ll may be covered .by an outer .fabr l as M wh h c m e en o e the boar t e e y adapting oth t su ac the eof to theironing operations.

A loop IQ which preferably ismade trom iabric is secured to the casing 5.8 on opposite sides o f the board at the end edge :5. This loop is in.- ende to be used i sus n i g the beard 1 319 .1 a l se ho simila place wh n it i O,' :ll use.

Up n e ring o Figure 1 .aurilia y a taghmen i ind at ate- 'I his -.ailz il ar atta hm n A is i t n d t pp men the hoard p din a full s e im ins bes si- The auxiliary attachment A is shown as having an and edge 29 hich c s on t th n ar se .W and a a n t Wh c i is dapted-t9 abu T X- .tendine I vi th op s e ends o the see? 2. are side edges 25 and 22, each of which h ay ;be defined by broken edges which converge at an ang ehe s d edge a d 22 t minate-in amend edge With the end edge 26 having a length corresponding to that of the end e ge H3; namely, vtwenty-two inches, the auxiliary attachment A may have a longitudinal dimension of twenty.- .four inches. {These dimensions aregiyen purely y i ay f ample an 0 il ustr tive pu s on y.

Inorder todetachablysecure the attachment A to the main body-portion 3, any preferred .form of attaching means may be employed. Thedn- 4 vention has particularly in mind an arrangement in which the end edge [0 of the board Bis formed with a socket 2-4, which is adapted to receive a dowel pin 25 that is carried by the end edge 20 of the attachment A.

Operation not use. Under such conditions, the loop l9 may be availed of to suspend the main body part "B-from a hook.

,l for tnpst of the casual ironing operations, the the main body part B is all that is required. the .he s w i ma take thi Part 3 Off t hook an ace i .0 a c n enieht un slri .ins s r ace to p r orm t e ir nin rat on .11 a shirt or o her a t l of a are sh uld b p aee pve t e Qar B so as to brin a a tia lar portion thereof against the paddedsurface for the ironing operation, it is evident that the board with the shirt thereon may be turned oyer to permit of ironin 0n the oppQSite side. 'Ifhis ea fa at the ir nin perati n- When the use of a full size ironing board ,is required, the auxiliary attachment A is secured t the i o y a B y fit n thQdOW m .2 5 into the socket 2G. The board is ,noyv used in the manner of a full size board with the possible exception that it is, supported from ,a

k t-tha b e o om ar bl su po n r ac ra e t an f om a collapsib su pe i ns structure.

While a preferred specific embodiment qf the in ion is ereinbs er se o th .i is to be cle rl unde sipod tha t e i tention no t e lim ed t the ex t c st uctions. dim nsi ns nd ma erial ll s r ted and de c ibed get various modifications of these details may Joe p o id d in t in the i ve o int pract ce w in he u v ew .of the appe ded-cl im- Wh t i claime 1 In an ironing board of thecharacter described, a mai b y on .cqnsist ns of a ce t al-board. padding on opposite faces of said board, and f ic easin e e i s id padd neanfi h ard. sais m in bod po tio -be n inedbysimieht Paral e d edss a str gh Qn sde and an oth and e g inc udin in lined s de po ions an a c n st a gh o t on a fa r 1 car d to a 995mg he and d e h i t e in lin d s d o io n u i a a achmen sq iwi n a c t n at o of said .ma bod ort on and ha in a s r h and e a a ted to abut the straight end edge on said' n ain bpdy po tion an br ke id ed e erm natin i e end edg and .main i r detaqh b securing s id auxil a achmen t a d m b d o tion JonNc. cave, n. 

